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Exporters and importers continue to face much uncertainty due to the military regime’s foreign currency control policies and continuing conflict between the regime and ethnic armed forces. FAS Rangoon forecasts Burma’s MY 2024/25 rice exports to recover to 1.7 MMT amid high stocks and expected relaxation of export controls. MY 2024/25 corn exports and wheat imports will remain flat.

FAS Rangoon (Post) forecasts Burma’s rice exports, corn exports, and wheat import smaller in MY 2023/24. Exporters and importers continue to face a lot of uncertainties with the continuing changing policies on export/import procedures and foreign currency controls.

FAS Rangoon forecasts Burma’s corn production lower due to rising production costs, unstable security conditions in some production areas, and unfavorable weather especially in Shan State.

FAS Rangoon (Post) forecasts Burma’s rice and corn exports larger in MY 2022/23 due to strong demand from African, EU, and ASEAN countries. Post forecasts Burma’s wheat imports down in MY 2022/23 due to low domestic demand, restrictions on buying of foreign currency, and changing import policies.

Burma’s corn production is estimated at 2.57 million metric tons in both MY 2020/21 and MY 2021/22 due to high price incentives.

The Burmese military’s February 1, 2021 coup will negatively impact agricultural trade at least in the short-term due to the country-wide Civil Disobedience Movement, which involves widespread labor strikes in opposition to the military’s action.

South Asia, which includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, accounts for 24 percent of the world’s population, with 1.84 billion people in 2019.

In MY 2020/21, rice production in Burma is forecast to increase in anticipation of favorable weather and increased demand from the European Union and China following COVID-19.

Burma is in the process of updating many of its laws and regulations.

Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma (Myanmar) are part of the fastest developing region in the world and account for roughly 221 million of Southeast Asia’s population.

Production of rice and corn in Burma is forecast to increase in MY 2019/20 due to expansion of planting areas.

Myanmar’s total 2018 feed demand is estimated at about 3 million metric tons (MMT) including about 0.5 MMT of aqua feed.